Saturday, March 30, 2013

Out Like a Lamb

"Empty Path"

"Weathered the Snows"

"Fresh"

"Extraordinarily Ordinary"

"Water's Edge"


"Faithfulness springs forth from the earth
and righteousness looks down from heaven."
Psalms 85:11



Linking up with 
and

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Six Word Fridays: Fool



What kind of fool am I?

the whole heart all in kind
the benefit of the doubt kind
the forgive and actually forget kind

the for better or worse, richer
or poorer and for always kind

the play legos and barbies instead
of doing the dirty dishes kind

the any time of day or
night just text or call kind

the take too many photos kind
the cook your favorite food kind
the laugh till it hurts kind

What kind of fool am I?
The wife kind. The mom kind.

the gave her heart away to
her very most precious family kind



My Memory Art

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Black & White Wednesday: Color?


Gently silhouetted across the sun kissed sky
budding branches
hint
imply
promise
suggest
that color -
colors!
Lots and LOTS of colors -
are soon to reenter my world.


Thursday, March 21, 2013

Six Word Fridays: Over


Ok, everybody! Say it with me!


I know you all want to.


Dear Winter, We are OVER you.
Much love, every one of us.


PS: Really, totally, completely OVER you.


There. That feels better. Doesn't it?



My Memory Art


Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Laughter


They say laughter is the best medicine.
It's not, however, my usual go-to cure for what ails me. I tend to analyze, romanticize, withdraw or rationalize. Seriously, I'm mostly a serious gal. Lucky for me, I married a guy who really knows how to make me laugh. And who passed on his sense of humor to our kids.

Every once in a while, a day comes along, where {even to me} things are just humorous.
Today was one of those days.

After yesterday's snowfall, the few signs of spring we have seen around here were buried under a few inches of the white stuff. Buds and flakes covering the same branches. It's like nature was playing 'find the thing that doesn't belong' with me. I was enjoying the game, but not winning - that's for sure. And I found my self chuckling at the startling contradictions that seemed to jump out at me from everywhere.

Little did I know, nature was saving the best for last...the most humorous image for the end of the day.

Because watching seagulls pose on the snowy shore of a pond is just as funny as it looks in this photo. There they were. All together. Looking off in the same direction. Seagulls. Not at the shore. Not on the sand.

But standing on the snow.

In this whole 'so-frustrated-it's-still-really-winter' thing we've got going on here...this day - this scene - really helped me to laugh it off and let it go. A much needed, light-hearted day.

I guess it's true what they say...laughter is the best medicine.


"Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face."
Victor Hugo


Joining in with Mama Kat's Writer's workshop here.
And linking up with my Bigger Picture gals here.


Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Black and White Wednesdays: Light


"There are two ways of spreading the light ~
to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it"
Edith Wharton



My Memory Art

Monday, March 18, 2013

Trying


Can you feel it?
I can.
Spring is trying. The sun is trying.
And we're all trying to be patient as we wait for the "out like a lamb" side of this somewhat two-faced month of March.
We're being told up here in the Boston area that we could get hit with another foot of snow tomorrow. Sigh.
Last week they said three inches and we got a foot. I'm hoping the reverse holds true tomorrow.

But enough about the weather.
I only share the weather report because it seems to perfectly reflect my state of being....longing to burst forth with light and warmth and growth and change....yet somehow blocked. Clouded in. Fogged over. Even frozen solid. Oh, I don't stop. And I don't even have any tangible complaints. In fact, if you ask me, I'd probably give you a pretty sunny report.

Like March, however, I can be a bit confusing. Or confused. Let's call it two-sided, cause I sincerely hope I'm not two-faced.

With the changing season that is my life comes new horizons - promises and more time and self acceptance.
This new season can also be accompanied by profound waves of nostalgia - by thoughts of all that's been fulfilled, by the awareness of less time and by the fear of some questions that cut me to the core of self. Cloudy, right?

But can you feel it?
I can.
Even as I type, I can feel it. That light that's inside trying to burst forth.
With each stroke of the key board, each feeble attempt to put this all into words, I feel it.
A surrender to the now. A willingness to be caught in this tug of war between the seasons of my life. And a determination to push through the clouds and the fog until there's a clear path before me.


One of the highlights of this 11th week of 2013, 
was being asked to guest post
for Bigger Picture Blogs!
Please head HERE to see scenes from the sunny side life...
brought to you by My Weekend!


Linking up with Project 52, and Just Write

Saturday, March 16, 2013

A Blessing


I'm a lucky lady. On Friday, to kick off the weekend, I arrived home to see this pretty bouquet waiting for me in the kitchen. Thanks to the Irish, and the celebration of St. Patrick's day, a couple of these beauties had been dyed clover green. Now, I'm not Irish but I'm always happy to celebrate! This week I've been rejoicing with the extra daylight - like the light that was streaming through my kitchen window behind these flowers. And when my husband does a little something for me just because...Well, to me that's better than finding a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. 

Especially when there are sunflowers involved.


"Having a place to go ~ 
is a home.
Having someone to love ~
is a family.
Having both is a
blessing."


Linking up with 
and sharing a quote with

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Six Word Fridays: Serve


It's as if something is coming
from nothing. Stiff, cold, dull branches
soften and prepare for their stunning
transformation - each tiny bud serves as
a poignant herald of new life.

It's as if something is coming
from nothing. The frozen ground thaws
bit by bit. Through twigs, leaves
and hard soil, color sprouts forth.
The season's miracle of rebirth begins.





My Memory Art

Walk With Me


Stretched across the lawn at the top of the first little hill
I find shadows
thrown gently across the lawn.
Early evening sun and an iron gate. 
The simplicity touches me.


The first glimpse of the pond at the  bottom of the hill
tells the story of the season.
Light, water, ice.
Warmth and chill playing tug of war.


And I wonder, as I walk and ponder the season's transition,
what is pulling at me?
I pray for new-borns and families that are dear to me.
I pray for friends who have suffered great loss this week.
Some of us striving to hold on,
others struggling to let go.
Today, witnessing the earth's tug of war.
I find surrender....
'To every thing there is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven.'


The wooded paths stretch out before me
and the sun plays with every leaf, every branch.
It's along this part of the path that I see a little boy let go of his mom's hand
and begin to toddle towards me.
"Daddy! Daddy!" he shouts as he scoots past me and jumps into his dad's arms.
For just a few short seconds I'm allowed to share in this - his pure joy.


Around the next bend, the brush clears and the path cuts across the pond.
The water is very high right now, 
rippling boisterously towards the edge of both sides of my path.
Turning to face the sun,
it's the wind that hits my face.
Not the light or the warmth,
but a blustery, chilly wind.
I stand very still for several minutes and just let it all wash over me.


Just to my right?
A delicious, sun kissed birch.


And right above me?
BUDS!
Feathery, small, reddish buds that weren't there two days ago.
Each tree with a story to tell.
Each tree responding to the sun's warmth in it's own time.
'Adopt the pace of nature. Her secret is patience.'
Emerson


As I turn for one last look at the sun setting over the water
I see a hawk hovering in the sky
focused intently on the something in the waters below.
While I'm watching him (her?)
my brother calls. 
It's his birthday, and we both wish we were hanging out together today.
But he's in the Hawaiian surf, and I'm walking the pond.
Later on,
when I texted him this photo to show him what I was looking at when he called,
he texted back,
"Kind of nice to think that it's the same sun."

I left work dragging my feet.
I left the pond renewed.


Linking up with
rejuvenate1a


Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Black & White Wednesday: 50th


When your brother turns 50
and lives in Hawaii....
you make him a sentimental gift and send it via air-mail...
and try not to be too sad that you can't spend the day with him.

Enough about me.

My renaissance man of a brother
is a kind man.
He truly lives as he imagines
and follows his dreams
all around the world.
He inspires me,
teaches me
learns with me
and loves me.

Happy Birthday, baby brother.
I love you right back.



My Memory Art

Monday, March 11, 2013

In Like a Lion.....

....Out Like a Lamb

They say that about March.
Here in Boston, we could say that about this past week!
Rainy, cloudy, miserable yuck....became major snow storm....and we were almost knee deep in winter.

But then, the weekend.
{ahhhhhh}
The Weekend
We had a delicious "taste of spring" weekend in our neck of the woods.
It was SO refreshing!
The ground may be saying winter,
but the air and the buds on the trees and the singing birds??
True harbingers of good things to come.







Hubby and I took another long walk on Saturday...

Are two weekends in a row enough to say we have a tradition? 
I'd say the beginnings of one.
And it's one I would very much like to nurture and continue!


Linking up with 
and 

Saturday, March 9, 2013

More Week End Wandering


"Everywhere is within walking distance
if you have the time."
Steven Wright

The word of the day?
Boston!
Today was for walking...
...from Copley, down Boyleston St. to the Public Gardens and back up Newbury St. to the Prudential Center.
Another Saturday with no schedule.
Just made for a long walk.

 Here's the Trinity Church, the pointy, old John Hancock building and the shiny, new John Hancock building.

 Don't you love how these reflections wiggle a bit in between panes of glass?

Another reflection, more wiggle.

 The best thing about today? Sharing so much time with my guy - playing tourist, talking...

 He was so patient with all my picture taking...and even did a little of his own!

Don't you just LOVE this glass tower? 
It seems to change shape as you walk around it.
And, from every angle, the city's history is brilliantly reflected back for us. 

Heading down toward the public garden, I had to snap this shot - since I found an obvious #5.


Though the grounds in the garden were still snow covered, 
up in the trees we saw buds, heard lots of chirping birds and noticed birds that were snacking on berries.
Sure signs of spring!


And, as all good tourists do, we rewarded ourselves with some freshly baked cookies...
...all tourists do that, right?



Linking up for the Scavenger Hunt with Ashley
And sharing quotes with Tabitha